In a typical electronic messaging system (e.g., an email system), a user composes a message in an editor and then initiates a ‘Send’ action. This causes the email client application to (i) move the message into a queue (or folder) where a software component transforms that message into the representation needed by the message transport agent (MTA—e.g., SMTP), (ii) execute code to connect to the message transport agent (“MTA”) and (iii) pass the message to the MTA for delivery.
Originally, this was the only manner in which email messages were sent. In a traditional email system 1, an email client 100 sent an electronic message through an outbound message queue 200 which then directed the electronic message to the MTA 140, FIG. 1. The MTA 140 then delivered the electronic message to the recipient's inbox 160. No mechanism existed for any message processing once the Send button was pressed unless the use could find the message and delete it before it had been handed off to the MTA.